Alabama Shakes Stream New Single 'American Dream'

Official Announcement | Published: Apr 10, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

(Island Records) Alabama Shakes is back with a reflective and raw new single entitled "American Dream" out now. Kicking off another chapter, it heralds the arrival of their highly anticipated third LP and full-length debut album for Island Records.

The track's creaky core riff tiptoes beneath an emotionally charged howl from frontwoman Brittany Howard. Drums move slow and steady as she mourns the state of affairs, "Low grade fever, lower wage people. How many folks got shot this week? It's enough to make you wanna go back to sleep."

Ethereal fifties-style vocal harmonies melt into a cathartic lament on the chorus, "The American dream. I wanna go back to sleep now. The impossible dream."

The raw and rumbling anthem traces the steady unraveling of once-shared ideals, simultaneously channeling disillusionment and defiant hope. "It's a snapshot of what we're living through in 2026," says Howard. "I look around and wonder how we got to a place where there's so much strain and so little support. I mean, it shouldn't be impossible to take off work so you can bring your child to the doctor-that's actually insane. My hope is that one day people will hear this song and say, 'Yeah, sh*t was crazy back then, but we made it through.'" It's a heart-wrenching plea for a way of life too far out of reach for most, but it's also a call for major change from rock 'n' roll's fieriest trio.

The trio -Brittany Howard, Heath Fogg, and Zac Cockrell-will hit the road this month on an extensive North American headline tour. Launching on April 16 in Richmond, VA, at Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, the tour takes them around the world, notably stopping at Radio City Music Hall on September 2 for the first time. The tour concludes on September 25 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. This jaunt features support from Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovîa, Lamont Landers, JJ Grey & Mofro, The Secret Sisters, Dove Ellis, Billy Allen + The Pollies, Tyler Ballgame, Liam Kazar, Hannah Cohen, and Emily King as well as special guests Nathaniel Rateliff, and Mavis Staples on select dates. Plus, Alabama Shakes will co-headline four shows with the Tedeschi Trucks Band in the Midwest.

The band will perform at several major festivals, including High Water Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. In addition to their headline and festival dates, they will appear with Zach Bryan on July 25 in Eugene, OR, and September 19 in Dover, DE.

They notably return to the UK and Europe for the first time in over a decade, with a headline performance at Alexandra Palace in London on July 3, as well as additional dates across the UK, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

The four-time GRAMMY nominated band has garnered billions of streams, and achieved worldwide multiplatinum success. Their chart-topping Sound & Color earned three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Alternative Music Album, and a prestigious Album of the Year nomination. Hailed by The New York Times as an "unstoppable force of nature" while Pitchfork credits the band for "[inventing] their own genesis," Alabama Shakes have solidified their place as one of today's most influential rock bands.

Last summer, they unleashed their single "Another Life," which has already tallied millions of streams, hit #1 at Triple A radio, and topped Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Marking the group's first original release in over a decade-and their official debut for Island Records-it paves the way for their highly anticipated third full-length in 2026 and first LP since 2015.